1. Field of the Invention (Technical Field)
The present invention relates to an apparatus fostering safe removal of an inflated tire from a wheel rim, or to otherwise work upon a mounted tire, by providing improved protection against accidental explosions of the pressurized tire.
2. Background Art
It is known that working on an inflated vehicle tire which is mounted on a wheel can be dangerous. One of the more dangerous operations in servicing vehicles involves changing and servicing tires. Pneumatic tires, particularly the tires of large tractor-trailer rigs and heavy-duty construction machinery, are mounted on massive wheel rims and inflated to high pressures. The high pressures involved can cause catastrophic explosions while the mounted tire is being inflated, or immediately after a tire is mounted upon a wheel, resulting from the tire bursting or being blown off the wheel. This can occur after approximately 20-30 pounds of pressure has been built up within the tire. Explosions can be due to a variety of causes, including a failure in the seal along the tire bead (the portion of the tire adapted to be sealed against the rigid wheel rim), an improper seal, atypical forces placed upon the tire sidewall, or over-inflation tire failure. The hazards associated with inflating and handling mounted tires can be ameliorated by thorough training of tire maintenance personnel, and the use of proper equipment and facilities. Nevertheless, the possibility of a tire-bead failure or other mishap is virtually ever-present when one is handling a mounted tire, even with trained personnel and the use of proper tire-handling and changing/mounting equipment. Such hazards include the explosion catapulting the removable ring or lock ring with force capable of decapitating a person, or throwing ripped shreds of tire in unpredictable directions.
There is a need for a protective apparatus that shields and protects the user who handles a mounted tire against the force of an accidental tire explosion. There are some devices known the art which are intended to provide protection against catastrophic failure, but the known devices generally suffer from one or more shortcomings. Many are adapted for use only in the sophisticated mechanic's workshop, and/or are expensive to install or maintain. These devices include those described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,623,981, to Cunningham et al., entitled Safety Barrier for Rim Holding Tire Changers, which discloses a barrier attached to a rim holding tire changer, designed to remove the worker from the field of the explosion; and U.S. Pat. No. 4,865,104, to Mannen, entitled Tire Changer Safety Apparatus and Method, which discloses a hold-down bar and air inflation pressure valve attached to a tire changing assembly. Many devices are heavy or cumbersome, which precludes or limits their portability. These devices include U.S. Pat. No. 4,381,027, to Molen et al., entitled Tire Inflation Safety Cage; U.S. Pat. No. 3,495,647, to Branick, entitled Safety Cage for Postinflation Apparatus; U.S. Pat. No. 2,407,049, to Winarsky et al., entitled Tire Inflation Guard; U.S. Pat. No. 4,036,274, to Peel, Sr., entitled Safety Cage for Tire Inflation; and U.S. Pat. No. 2,792,056, to Ricketts et al., entitled Guard for Tire Inflation, all disclosing various "cages" for containing a tire while inflating. These "cages" do not prevent shards or strips of tire from dislodging and being forcibly expelled through/between the "cage" bars. Other restraining devices include U.S. Pat. No. 4,505,309, to Adelman et al., entitled Tire Inflation, and U.S. Pat. No. 4,538,659, to Adelman et al., entitled Safe Tire Inflator, both disclosing a box into which a tire can be placed while inflating. These devices are bulky, which makes them less desirable for portability. Still other devices are designed to prevent ring dislocation, but also do not address the problem of shreds from the tire becoming airborne. These include U.S. Pat. No. 2,835,318, to Conger, entitled Tire Inflation Guard, U.S. Pat. No. 2,881,825, to Engstrom, entitled Adjustable Lock Ring Safety Clamp for Truck Wheels, U.S. Pat. No. 4,147,195, to Halfacre, entitled Truck Tire Safety Clamp, and U.S. Pat. No. 3,559,715, to Leslie, entitled Truck Tire Inflating Device, all disclosing various clamps and devices to fit inside the rim and stabilize the lock ring during tire inflation and mounting. It is sometimes desirable to be able to change or mount a tire "in the field," that is, on the road at the scene of a tire failure and required replacement, without transporting an excessive amount of equipment. Also, many known devices are complicated to use, which discourages their use.
The present invention is an apparatus for preventing flying debris from tire explosions during mounting or inflation.
It successfully overcomes the unsolved difficulties of the prior art by providing a simple, lightweight, portable, easy-to-use safety device for use during tire changes, repairs, mounting, and dismounting. By being portable, the invention can be stored on board a vehicle to be available for use nearly anywhere at any time. Because the device is simple to use, the mechanic is more apt to use the invention. The present invention also is less expensive to manufacture than the more complicated devices typifying the known art.
A fundamental aspect of the invention is its exploitation of modern materials technologies, particularly relatively recent advances in the fields of textile and fabrics. Formerly, the tremendous forces resulting from a pneumatic tire explosion could be reliably contained only with bulky box- or cage-like devices fashioned from metal bars or panels, thus leading to the complicated and non-portable devices discussed above. With the present invention, however, the force of the blast is contained by a flexible, lightweight bag or cover which can be folded or rolled for easy storage or transportation and simple use.